Is Davis Love III through?

Is Davis Love III, like so many veterans before him after suffering late-career injuries, going to be an also-ran the rest of his career?

Love is getting up there in years and trying to come back from an ankle injury, after stepping in a hole about a year ago and tearing ligaments.

He tried to come back earlier than his doctors expected, and may have “over re-habbed.” When you reach a certain age, trying to come back from a serious injury often leads to another injury.

“It always seems like a guy hurts his knee and then rehabs his knee and his hip starts bothering him because he’s favoring it,” Love told the media before the start of this week’s Turning Stone Resort Championship, the second of six PGA fall tournaments. “I’m 44 years old. They’re always going to need a rest.”

Love is trying to finish in the top 125 to earn a full exemption next year, and right now he’s at 155 – the first time since 1985 he’s finished out of the top-100. He also missed the Masters because he didn’t qualify.

This will be his first tournament since August 17.

“I don’t want to be 150th in the world or the rankings,” Love said. “I want to be up at the top and talking to Fred Couples about how we’re going to win the President’s Cup by the end of next year. But, I’m hitting the ball far enough and hard enough and striking it well, rolling it well.”

Tim McDonald blogs about his travels to golf hotspots such as Florida, Myrtle Beach, Pinehurst, Hilton Head and the Gulf Coast (including his search for great barbecue joints along the way). He also follows Tiger Woods' path through PGA history.